Chapter 5: Father's Cooking
"Is it because you don't like being home alone?"
Sensing her unhappiness, Aragaki Takiya couldn't help but soften his heart. Perhaps he was being too demanding of her; according to Aragaki Moeha, she had basically received no companionship from her parents in the future, so in the end, it was still his own fault.
"Um... when I'm home alone, it feels strange. No one notices me, and I don't know what to do..."
Hearing her father's gentle tone, Aragaki Moeha's mood improved slightly. Actually, she used to be very cheerful; even her Grandmother often said she was the family's Little Sun. But ever since her father left, her smiles had somehow become fewer and fewer. She hated it; she wanted to bring joy to those around her, but she seemed powerless to do anything about it.
"This child, what she wants to say is probably that she's lonely."
Glancing at the Little one who was trying hard to describe her state, Aragaki Takiya felt like he understood her a bit more. If this were a game, then an 'Exploration +1' message would probably appear over her head.
"Alright, I was indeed in the wrong today. To make up for my mistake, I've prepared this for you."
With that, Aragaki Takiya opened the shopping bag beside him and took out a Caramel Pudding.
Children's love for sweets seems to be a matter of course, and even the somewhat introverted Aragaki Moeha was no exception. At this moment, her attention was focused on the pudding before her. Its pale yellow body topped with reddish-brown caramel was indeed eye-catching.
"As expected, Children are easy to please. Actually, this is quite nice. Hmm, it would be even better if she smiled more."
Seeing that Aragaki Moeha's gaze was drawn to the pudding, Aragaki Takiya first got her settled before starting to put away the items he had bought today—milk, snacks, vegetables, and a whole bunch of other things—into the refrigerator. Only after he finished did he realize that this was probably the first time the fridge at home had been so full.
"Hmm? What's wrong? Is it not to your taste?"
After finishing everything, Aragaki Takiya noticed that the Little one, who had been captivated by the pudding, had placed the opened container on the table. Although her eyes were still fixed on it, she didn't seem to have any intention of eating.
Hearing the boy's words, Aragaki Moeha, who had been staring blankly at the pudding, seemed to have a switch flipped. She immediately scooped up a large spoonful of pudding and held it out toward the boy like she was presenting a treasure, a look of hope on her face.
"If I refuse now, she'll definitely be unhappy..."
With this thought in mind, Aragaki Takiya did not refuse her kindness. He calmly ate the pudding she offered, and then he saw a smile bloom on her face.
"It's delicious. Both the texture and the flavor are great. So, leave the rest to Moeha."
Seeing her father personally eat the pudding she had scooped, a smile also appeared on Aragaki Moeha's face. Although a piece was now missing compared to when she first got it, she still ate very happily. Her two little legs kicked the air in rhythm with her mood, looking just like an innocent child.
"Phew~ If only she could always be this happy."
Seeing her so happy, Aragaki Takiya felt a sense of emotion in his heart, but he didn't forget his task. He took out the recipe he had bought at the supermarket today and began to study it carefully.
In fact, if this house hadn't gained this tiny new member, Aragaki Takiya would have had absolutely no interest in learning how to cook. After all, Japan's pre-packaged food industry was very developed, and it already fully satisfied his needs in terms of taste.
But with a child who had a slight psychological barrier at home, cooking seemed like a good choice for both interaction and building a bond—at least, that's what Aragaki Takiya thought.
Twenty minutes later... "Hmm... although it's just simple fried eggs and fried bacon, I can still tell that I'm quite talented~"
Emerging with the plate, Aragaki Takiya looked at the slightly golden-brown food on it and felt a sense of accomplishment. After all, he could count the number of times he had cooked in recent years on one hand. Though he didn't know the taste yet, it looked delicious.
"Here, try it. How does it taste?"
Seeing Aragaki Moeha dazing on the sofa, Aragaki Takiya quickly called her over to eat. Although the Loli in front of him often dazed off, she would still respond quickly when she heard him speak.
"So it really is because she lacked parental companionship for too long?"
Watching Aragaki Moeha eat quietly, Aragaki Takiya kept guessing in his heart, while also looking forward to her evaluation of this breakfast.
"Mmm..."
Under Aragaki Takiya's expectant gaze, the blonde Loli frowned and put down her fork.
"Did Papa put in any salt?"
"Ah???"
Hearing Aragaki Moeha's words, Aragaki Takiya blinked, then suspiciously tasted his own portion. Ultimately, he confirmed that while he had precisely controlled the heat, he had forgotten to add salt.
"Uh... this was my mistake. Forget it, don't eat it. I'll take you out to eat something delicious."
While unsalted food wasn't necessarily bad, it was inevitably a bit bland. It might be okay for Aragaki Takiya to eat it alone, but he would absolutely not let Children (especially his own daughter) eat such a thing.
"No, this is the breakfast Papa made. I'm going to eat it all..."
Unlike her usual obedient self, Aragaki Moeha rejected Aragaki Takiya's request and quickly stuffed all the food into her mouth.
"Actually, there's no need to force yourself. It's a fact that it doesn't taste good..."
Looking at the Little one with bulging cheeks, Aragaki Takiya felt amused but also a twinge of guilt. Her behavior likely had a lot to do with his future self being ill.
Although Aragaki Moeha loved talking to her father, she insisted on finishing the food in her mouth before speaking.
"Because eating Papa's cooking was a long time ago, so I really wanted to eat it."
"I see."
Looking at the Loli before him whose eyes were turning a bit red, Aragaki Takiya suddenly felt his own eyes sting. However, he just blinked and then said:
"Even so, you don't have to force yourself. Because from now on, you'll be able to eat Papa's cooking every day..."